Scrap container for scrap waste, in particular for scrap mandrels from blind rivets, and movable manipulator with such a scrap container

ABSTRACT

The aim is to allow a disposal of scrap mandrels for a blind rivet setting tool directly on a robot hand, which is secured to the blind rivet setting tool. A specially configured mandrel container is provided which has a housing with a receiving volume for the scrap mandrels. A filling nozzle reaches into the receiving volume to a central region of the receiving volume. In this manner, the scrap mandrel container can be filled in a position-independent manner without the danger of an outlet opening of the filling nozzle being closed by scrap mandrels.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of copending international application No. PCT/EP2014/001886, filed Jul. 9, 2014, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German patent application No. DE 10 2013 012 075.6, filed Jul. 19, 2013; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a scrap container for unit waste, in particular for scrap mandrels from blind rivets, and also a movable manipulator having a scrap container of this kind.

In the case of a blind rivet setting operation, a blind rivet to be set is introduced into a component hole with the help of a blind rivet setting tool and usually comes to rest against a hole edge with a setting head. A drawing mandrel of the blind rivet is then drawn with the help of a drawing head of the setting tool, so that a closing head is formed on the component surface opposite the setting head and the blind rivet is reliably set. When a defined setting force is reached, the drawing mandrel breaks off at a predetermined breaking point. This produces a scrap mandrel that must be disposed of.

Suction equipment for this purpose is known in the art, in which the scrap mandrels are sucked away via a hose and fed to a collecting container.

In a few applications, for example with riveting processes on a motor vehicle body, the setting tool is secured to a movable manipulator, in particular to a robot hand of a robot. The robots in this case are usually multiaxial industrial robots which are moved in a highly dynamic fashion at high acceleration values during operation. A fundamental problem associated with this highly dynamic method of operation comes in the shape of any supply lines in this case, which are highly tensioned. Accordingly, a hose for any scrap mandrels produced is also associated with an installation cost and is subject to high stresses. In addition, the hose may also be problematic when it has to be fed over a certain distance to a scrap mandrel container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on this, the problem addressed by the invention, particularly with highly dynamic applications of this kind, is that of facilitating improved scrap mandrel disposal.

The problem is solved according to the invention by a scrap container for unit waste, particularly for scrap mandrels from blind rivets, wherein this unit waste is generally produced during a machining operation on a moved machine hand. In particular, this scrap container is used to receive scrap mandrels which are produced during the setting of blind rivets which are produced with the help of a blind rivet setting tool secured to a robot hand of an industrial robot. The scrap container in this case is particularly configured for direct attachment to the robot hand and is also secured accordingly during operation directly to the robot hand. It is therefore also moved in a highly dynamic fashion during operation, just as the setting tool is.

The problem with robot movements of this kind is that the container does not adopt a defined position in relation to a horizontal ground plane. This makes it difficult to feed in scrap mandrels, as there is a risk that the scrap mandrels already in the scrap container will block a filling opening when there is a change in position, meaning that there is a risk of obstruction when the scrap mandrels are removed.

To prevent this, a filling nozzle is fitted which extends into a central region of the receiving volume defined by the scrap container and terminates there in the central region at an outlet opening. The filling nozzle is connected via a hose to the setting tool, for example, for removal of the scrap mandrels.

The central region in this case is understood to mean a middle region within the receiving volume which is spaced apart from walls of the housing on all sides. The housing is therefore completely closed, so that none of the scrap pieces already in the housing can fall out during movements of the robot hand. The crucial advantage here should be regarded as the fact that irrespective of the position of the scrap container in the space, a partial region of the receiving volume lies beneath the outlet opening in each case. The scrap mandrels therefore accumulate in all cases for all positions which the scrap container along with the robot hand adopts in the space beneath the outlet opening, at least until a certain filling level is reached. Safe scrap mandrel disposal is thereby guaranteed overall, even with applications involving highly dynamic movements.

It is appropriate in this case for the outlet opening to be positioned within the receiving volume, such that depending on the orientation of the scrap container in the space, there is an at least approximately identical filling volume in each case. The filling volume in this case is defined by a partial region of the receiving volume which is limited by the housing up to a current horizontal plane in each case, which receives the outlet opening. The filling volume is therefore defined by the volume within the housing beneath this horizontal plane. “Beneath” in this case should be understood to mean in the direction of gravity in each case. This ultimately means that a center point of the outlet opening is at least arranged roughly in the center of the space volume defined by the receiving volume, such that a plane through this center point divides the receiving volume into at least two equally sized partial volumes in each case.

“At least equally sized” in this case should be taken to mean a deviation of maximum 20%, preferably of maximum 10%. A maximum filling volume can therefore easily be specified by this embodiment, which therefore corresponds to roughly half the receiving volume. The scrap container can be filled in a process-safe manner up to this filling volume, possibly following the deduction of a safety region, without there being any risk of the outlet opening being obstructed by scrap mandrels.

In addition, in an advantageous development the outlet opening of the filling nozzle is beveled. This prevents scrap mandrels from being left in an unfavorable position on the edge of the filling nozzle and therefore blocking the outlet opening.

The housing has a roughly box-shaped configuration overall and has at least one box-shaped central or base space. A flat design is advantageously provided in this case, in order to restrict the overall installation height. A box-shaped configuration of this kind is often favorable for positioning on a robot hand.

The housing can be advantageously sealed by an emptying lid lockable by means of a locking unit. In general, the housing is completely closed during operation, which means that scrap mandrels are in principle prevented from falling out. So that accidental opening of the emptying opening or emptying lid at high acceleration values is reliably prevented, said lid is reliably locked during operation via the locking unit.

The emptying lid itself is advantageously arranged in a pivoting-movable manner in this case, so that it can easily be opened in the unlocked state.

During normal operation, the emptying lid is preferably locked by a locking lever of the locking unit. The locking lever in this case is, in particular, part of a preferably self-locking toggle lever mechanism which usually contains two toggle or articulated levers connected to one another in an articulated fashion. The toggle lever mechanism, also referred to as a toggle clamp, has the particular advantage that due to the self-locking property, only a comparatively small holding force is required during operation, in order to reliably hold the locking lever in the closed position.

The locking lever simultaneously presses the emptying lid preferably into a closed position. No additional active movement of the emptying lid for opening and closing is therefore provided for. Actuation of the emptying lid simply involves actuating the locking lever.

In order to unlock and open the emptying lid, the locking lever in this case is actuated in an advantageous embodiment by means of a drive.

For simple, process-safe emptying, the housing has an emptying region with at least one oblique wall. In particular, the housing is roughly wedge-shaped when viewed in cross section, wherein the emptying lid is arranged at the tapered tip, in other words, with a corresponding positioning of the housing, at the lowest point. Said emptying lid therefore covers a pouring opening to this extent.

This embodiment has, in particular, the advantage that a fully automated emptying of the scrap container is made possible and also provided for. When the scrap mandrel container is full, the robot hand advantageously moves to an emptying position where there is a collecting container, for example, and brings the scrap container into a defined emptying position, so that the pouring opening closed by the emptying lid points downwards. By activating the drive, the locking lever is actuated, so that the emptying lid opens and the container is emptied.

Particularly with regard to a fully automated operation of this kind, the scrap container preferably furthermore has a counting unit for counting the unit waste fed in. When a predefined number of units is reached, an emptying signal is emitted particularly to a control unit. Due to the high dynamics, the individual counting of the individual scrap mandrels via the counting unit is a process-safe solution. As an alternative to individual counting, a filling level sensor is installed which measures the filling level or else the filling quantity within the collection volume. The sensor is also configured as a weight sensor, for example.

Upon receipt of the emptying signal, the control unit activates an emptying mode, so that fully automatic emptying is triggered.

The control system in this case is advantageously set up so that emptying only takes place when a component being machined, for example a car body, is complete, in other words a defined working cycle has come to an end. Emptying then preferably takes place during a component changeover. The overall filling volume of the container in this case is advantageously adjusted to a working cycle of this kind, in other words, for example, to the quantity of scrap mandrels produced per component, so that emptying can always take place during a component changeover, for example after one, two, three, etc. components, in other words between two working cycles.

The problem according to the invention is further solved by a movable manipulator, in particular a robot hand.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a scrap container for scrap waste, in particular for scrap mandrels from blind rivets, and a movable manipulator with such a scrap container, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of an industrial robot with a scrap container secured to a robot hand according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the scrap container according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the scrap container; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the scrap container within a sectional plane leading through a filling nozzle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Parts with the same action are labeled using the same reference numbers in the figures.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a machining tool, namely a blind rivet setting tool 6, and also a scrap container 8 configured as a scrap mandrel container are secured to a multiaxial industrial robot 2, namely to a robot hand 4 thereof. FIG. 1 in this case only shows an exemplary installation without the complete connections. The scrap container 8 has a hose connection 10 for connecting a scrap mandrel hose not depicted in greater detail here, via which scrap mandrels which are produced as waste products during a blind rivet setting operation are fed from the setting tool 6 to the scrap container 8. The feed for this purpose particularly takes place by a pneumatic device. The scrap mandrels are therefore pushed into the scrap container 8 via the scrap mandrel hose.

With the help of an industrial robot 2 of this kind with a setting tool 6 secured thereto, a fully automated connection of components, for example of two sheet metals, using blind rivets is particularly made possible.

The industrial robot 2 is suitable and configured for carrying out complex movement sequences. Particularly when machining car bodies, the robot hand 4 moves in a highly dynamic fashion into a wide variety of working positions. This means that the elements secured to the robot hand 4, particularly the setting tool 6 and also the scrap container 8, adopt any positions in the space. They must be configured for these highly dynamic movement sequences.

In order to allow safe, reliable scrap mandrel disposal, the scrap container 8 exhibits the design described below in relation to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The scrap container 8 contains a housing 12 which exhibits a box-shaped base body 14 and an emptying region 16 connected thereto. Starting from a transverse edge of the base body 14, the emptying region 16 has an oblique wall 20A extending from a lower side 18A to an upper side 18B, so that viewed in section (FIG. 2) the emptying region is roughly wedge-shaped in design. As can also be seen, particularly from FIG. 4, the side walls also run between the upper side 18B and the lower side 18A as an oblique wall 20B, so that the emptying region 16 defines a roughly trapezoidal area as a continuation of the upper side 18B. At this upper side 18B, the emptying region 16 is closed by an emptying lid 22 which is connected thereto in a pivoting-moving manner at the edge of the base body 14.

A locking unit 24 contains a toggle lever mechanism 26 with a locking lever 28 is furthermore arranged on the upper side 18B. In order to actuate the toggle lever mechanism 26, the locking unit 24 furthermore contains a pneumatic drive 30, for example. By means of this, the locking lever 28 can be activated via the toggle lever mechanism 26, so that the emptying lid is opened or locked. The locking lever 28 in this case is connected to the emptying lid 22. When the toggle lever mechanism 24 is actuated, the locking lever 28 pivots away upwards and thereby opens the emptying lid 22.

A feed unit 34 is secured to a rear side 32 of the housing 12 lying opposite the emptying region 16, which feed unit contains the hose connection 10 which is continued by a filling nozzle 36. The filling nozzle 36 in this case extends into the interior of the housing 12. This interior defines a receiving volume 38 in this case.

The filling nozzle 36 terminates at an outlet opening 40 which is positioned in a central region 42 of the receiving volume 38. In order to form the outlet opening 40, the filling nozzle 36 is beveled at the end.

The positioning of the outlet opening 40 in this case is selected in such a manner that it is positioned in the free inside volume of the housing 12, so that the outlet opening 40 is therefore spaced apart from all wall regions of the housing 12. In this case, the outlet opening 40 is particularly positioned in such a manner that any dividing plane through an opening center 44 (see FIG. 4) divides the receiving volume 38, in particular the receiving volume 38 defined by the base body 14 (so without the volume of the emptying region 16), into at least roughly two filling volumes 46 of equal size. Two dividing or horizontal planes 48 of this kind are drawn by way of example in FIGS. 2 and 4.

This positioning means that independently of the respective position of the scrap container 8, an at least substantially equal filling volume 46 is always available up to the outlet opening 40.

The scrap mandrels being received are usually elongate, pin-shaped elements with a diameter in the region of a few millimeters, for example in the region of 2 to 8 mm. The length of the scrap mandrels is a multiple thereof. The free internal diameter of the filling nozzle is adjusted to the diameter of the scrap mandrels and lies in the region of 10 mm, for example.

As can be inferred, particularly from the sectional depiction in FIG. 4, the feed unit 34 exhibits a feed hopper 50 downstream of the hose connection 10, which hopper is part of a center piece 52. The hose connection 10 is particularly secured to the center piece 52 via a screw fastening. The feed hopper 50 guarantees a process-safe delivery of the scrap mandrels from the hose into the center piece. The filling nozzle 36 is further attached to the center piece 52, which is in turn secured particularly by a screw fastening to the center piece 52. Here, too, a feed hopper 50 is configured at the delivery point on the side of the filling nozzle 36, upstream of which there is a kind of diffusor of the center piece 52.

The center piece 52 contains a counting unit 54 which is connected via a cable connection 56 for transmitting a counting signal to a control unit not shown in greater detail here. The counting unit 54 is configured to count the scrap mandrels fed into the scrap mandrel container 8 individually. The counting unit 54 has a suitable sensor for this purpose.

With the help of the counting unit 54 and the control unit connected thereto, a fully automated, monitored and therefore process-safe operation is made possible, in which an emptying signal is emitted to the control unit, particularly when a predefined filling volume is reached in the counting unit 54, and the control unit then initiates a fully automated emptying of scrap mandrel container 8.

For emptying, the scrap mandrel container 8 is guided by the robot hand 4 via a corresponding emptying position, then the toggle lever mechanism 26 is actuated via the drive 30, so that the locking lever 28 opens the emptying lid 22 and the scrap mandrels fall out of the scrap container 8.

The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:

-   2 Industrial robot -   4 Robot hand -   6 Setting tool -   8 Scrap container -   10 Hose connection -   12 Housing -   14 Base body -   16 Emptying region -   18A Lower side -   18B Upper side -   20A, 20B Oblique wall -   22 Emptying lid -   24 Locking unit -   26 Toggle lever mechanism -   28 Locking lever -   30 Drive -   32 Rear side -   34 Feed unit -   36 Filling nozzle -   38 Receiving volume -   40 Outlet opening -   42 Central region -   44 Opening center -   46 Filling volume -   48 Horizontal plane -   50 Feed hopper -   52 Center piece -   54 Counting unit -   56 Cable connection 

1. A scrap container for a unit waste produced during a machining operation of a moved machine hand, the scrap container comprising: a closed housing having a receiving volume for the unit waste, said receiving volume having a central region; and a filling nozzle extending into said receiving volume, said filling nozzle having an outlet opening terminating in said central region of said receiving volume.
 2. The scrap container according to claim 1, wherein said outlet opening is positioned within the receiving volume in such a manner that, irrespective of an orientation of the scrap container, an at least substantially equal filling volume is available which is defined by said closed housing up to a respective horizontal plane depending on a current orientation, the horizontal plane receives said outlet opening.
 3. The scrap container according to claim 1, wherein said filling nozzle is beveled at said outlet opening.
 4. The scrap container according to claim 1, wherein said closed housing is roughly box-shaped.
 5. The scrap container according to claim 1, further comprising a locking unit; and wherein said closed housing has an emptying lid lockable by said locking unit.
 6. The scrap container according to claim 5, wherein said emptying lid is disposed in a pivoting-movable manner.
 7. The scrap container according to claim 5, wherein said locking unit has a locking lever which locks said emptying lid.
 8. The scrap container according to claim 7, wherein said locking lever is part of a toggle lever mechanism.
 9. The scrap container according to claim 7, wherein said emptying lid is loosely mounted and said locking lever presses said emptying lid into a locking position.
 10. The scrap container according to claim 5, further comprising a drive fitted for an automatic opening and/or unlocking of said emptying lid.
 11. The scrap container according to claim 1, wherein said closed housing has an emptying region with at least one oblique wall.
 12. The scrap container according to claim 1, further comprising a counting unit fitted for counting the unit waste fed in, said counting unit emitting an emptying signal when a predefined number of waste units is reached.
 13. The scrap container according to claim 1, wherein the unit waste is scrap mandrels from blind rivets.
 14. A movable robot hand, comprising: a scrap container according to claim
 1. 15. The movable robot hand according to claim 14, further comprising a blind rivet setting tool for securing a connecting element to a component, and secured alongside said scrap container. 